Badge structure of a portable item

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a badge structure of a portable item, and the badge structure includes a portable item, and at least one badge unit connected to at least one predetermined position of the portable item. The badge unit includes a first carrier fixed to the portable item, a second carrier fixed to a carrying surface of the first carrier, and a badge pattern printed on a transfer paper and transferred onto at least one surface of the second carrier by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a badge structure of a portable item, and more particularly to a badge structure having a full color visual effect or a non-full color badge pattern without stitching or printing the badge on a portable item such as a cap and a handbag, and customized badge patterns can be made according to the customized requirements of characters or a low cost for an industrial mass production of portable items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Besides the functions of shading sunshine (or rain) or carrying different items, a cap or a handbag also can be a personalized decoration. As the quality of our life is improved and people including baseball fans and movie star fans who love sports and performances such as baseball, manufacturers, team owners and agency usually produce various different products related to ballplayers and movie stars, and their fans love to collect such kinds of products.

A cap or a handbag sewed or printed with a ballplayer's picture, a team logo, or a movie star's picture is one of the most convenient and popular item for collection. As the present electronic image capturing technology advances, it is easy to produce and edit a pattern (or a picture) captured by a computer and combine the pattern or picture with a cap or a handbag to provide a personalized item.

Further, the conventional badge pattern such as a team logo or name disposed on a cap, various shoulder-carrying and hand-carrying handbags or other decorative patterns can be combined with a brim or a crown of the cap or a surface of the handbag by sewing or thermal transfer printing, but the method and manufacture of these structures still have the following drawbacks:

The pattern or character sewed on the cap can be achieved by sewing a pattern onto a cut piece first before the cap is made or sewing the pattern onto the cap after the cap is made. However, the sewing of such pattern takes long time, and the curvature of a crown of the cap further makes the sewing more difficult and takes much longer time for the sewing. As it is necessary to change the color of threads, the manufacturing efficiency is low and the manufacturing cost is high. With these limitations of changing the color of the sewing threads and incurring a high cost, a full color visual effect cannot be achieved. What is more, the manufacturing is limited to mass production only, but cannot be adopted in single customized productions or a small number of customized productions for combining a badge onto a cap. Even in computer sewing, it is necessary to design, code and input a program for the badge pattern, and thus the badge pattern is limited to a simple badge pattern or name that can be sewed easily.

In the method of printing a pattern or a character directly onto a cap or a handbag by a thermal transfer printing technology, the pattern or character is printed onto a cut piece first before the cap is sewed and produced, or printed after the cap is sewed and produced. However, it is not easy to print the pattern or character directly onto a surface of the cap or a handbag made of fabrics by the thermal transfer printing method, because the printing is affected by the grids produced by the intersection of warps and wefts. As a result, the pattern transferred by the thermal transfer printing method may fall off easily; the integrity and visual effect of the pattern may be affected adversely; and the value of keepsake and collection may be reduced. Further, the present thermal transfer printing technology used for combining the pattern on a cap or a handbag limits the color performance of the pattern, and thus a full color visual effect and texture cannot be achieved.

In a conventional cap structure having a magnetic badge base, two notches are formed directly at the brim or the crown of the cap to facilitate the process of passing pins of the magnetic badge base into the brim, installing a pad, and bending the pins to fix the magnetic badge base onto the brim of the cap, and the magnetism provides a way of changing a decorative badge at the brim or the crown easily. Although the badge can be changed easily, the pattern of the badge still cannot achieve a fall color visual effect and texture. The badge is attached onto the badge base by magnetism, but the fixing effect is not as good and the badge may fall off or missing easily. Such patented invention did not teach the manufacture of customized badges. In other words, such technology can be applied for mass production only, but not for the manufacture of single unique customized patterns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct researches and experiments, and finally developed a badge structure in accordance with the present invention to overcome the foregoing shortcomings.

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a simple structure that prints customized or predetermined patterns or characters on a transfer paper to be transferred onto a surface of at least one carrier by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies, and then the carrier is connected to a predetermined position of a portable item such as a cap or a handbag, so as to improve a low efficiency of sewing the badge directly onto the cap or handbag, and overcome the shortcoming that the carrier may fall of easily if the carrier is transferred onto the cap and the handbag by thermal transfer. In addition, the invention also overcomes the limitation of the printing color of the conventional badge being sewed directly onto the cap and handbag.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a badge structure of a portable item in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a portable item and at least one badge unit connected to at least one predetermined position of the portable item. The badge unit includes a first carrier fixed at the portable item, a second carrier fixed onto a carrying surface of the first carrier, and a badge pattern printed onto a transfer paper to be transferred onto at least one surface by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a badge structure is connected to a cap, a handbag or any other portable item and used as a decoration or an identification, and the badge structure comprises: a first carrier having a carrying surface and fixed onto the portable item; a second carrier fixed onto the carrying surface of the first carrier and having a badge pattern printed on a transfer paper to be transferred to a surface of the second carrier through thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of Section A-A as depicted in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

To make it easier for our examiner to understand the objective, innovative features and performance of the present invention, we use a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 for an exploded view and a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 for a cross-sectional view of Section A-A of FIG. 2, a badge structure of a portable item comprises a portable item 1 and at least one badge unit 2 connected to at least one predetermined position of the portable item. The badge unit 2 includes a first carrier 21 and a second carrier 22, wherein the first carrier 21 is passed through a stitch hole 211 and a stitch hole 11 by a rivet 26 (or sewing or stitching) and connected to a predetermined position of the portable item 1, and the second carrier 22 is combined onto a surface of the first carrier 21, or a badge pattern 23 is made according to a customized requirement and produced either in an industrial mass production quickly or in a single batch or a small number of batches of the badge units 2, and the badge pattern 23 is combined with a portable item 1. The portable item 1 is preferably a cap, or a shoulder-carrying or a hand-carrying handbag.

The first carrier 21 is a base in a predetermined geometric shape and made of a metal material, a non-metal material or a fabric material, and another surface of the portable item 1 forms a carrying surface 24, and the carrying surface 24 is preferably an inwardly concave recession in a predetermined geometric shape, and a frame edge 25 is formed at the periphery of the carrying surface 24 to facilitate combining and assembling the second carrier 22.

The aforesaid second carrier 22 is a plate symmetrical to the shape of the carrying surface 24 and preferably made of a metal material such as tinplated iron or white cast iron (which are examples for illustrating the present invention, but not intended to limit the production of the present invention) or a thin plate made of a non-metal material, and the second carrier 22 can be combined with a carrying surface 24 of the first carrier 21 by one of the embedding, gluing and riveting methods, and a badge pattern 23 printed on a transfer paper can be transferred onto a surface other than the carrying surface 24 of the second carrier 22 by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies.

The foregoing badge pattern 23 is preferably made according to an industrial standard or a customized requirement. A graphic editor such as a computer and its graphic editing software is used for generating a pattern, a character or any combination with a full color or a non-full color visual effect and texture according to a predetermined or customized electronic or non-electronic image such as a moon pattern or a timber pattern and editing the patterns to be printed and outputted onto the transfer paper. In other words, the pattern can be transferred onto a surface of the second carrier 22 by a single batch or a small number of batches according to customized requirements by thermal transfer printing, so as to combine a pattern onto at least one predetermined position of the portable item 1 and produce a cap or a handbag with a unique personalized badge unit 2.

Since the foregoing structure uses a graphic editor to print a predetermined or customized pattern onto a transfer paper, and transfer the pattern from the transfer paper onto a surface of the second carrier 22 of the badge unit 2 by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies, and the badge unit 2 is combined with at least one predetermined position such as a brim, a crown, a front end, a rear end, both lateral sides or upper and lower surfaces of a brim of a cap or any surface of a handbag to by means of an industrial mass production with a high efficiency and a low cost, or a single batch or a small number of batches according customized requirements, so as to combine the badge unit 2 onto the cap or handbag quickly. The badge pattern 23 on the badge unit 2 coping with the output of the graphic editor and the transfer with a full color visual effect and texture can overcome the shortcomings of a conventional method of sewing or thermal printing a pattern directly onto a cap or a handbag that the pattern may fall off easily, and the conventional method cannot achieve the full color visual effect.

In the meantime, the foregoing structure of the present invention can be produced quickly, and the badge pattern can be edited and outputted directly by the graphic editor, and thus saving the cost and time for plate making.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 for an exploded view and a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference from the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 resides on the letters and symbols on the first carrier 21 and the second carrier 22. Two English alphabets “L” and “E” are adopted in this embodiment adopts, but not limited to such arrangement. Any Chinese character, numbers, special symbols and a combination of various symbols can be adopted for the external look of the first carrier 21 and the second carrier 22 to give a diversified eye-catching effect.

After the foregoing first carrier 21 and second carrier 22 are produced separately, the customized pattern is printed onto the transfer paper and combined with the second carrier 22 through thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies, and the second carrier 22 is fixed onto the first carrier 21. However, the first carrier 21 and second carrier 22 also can be combined integrally to produce the badge unit 2, and the pattern is transferred onto the portable item.

While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures. 

1. A badge structure of a portable item, comprising: a portable item; at least one badge unit, coupled to at least one predetermined position of said portable item, and said badge unit comprising: a first carrier, fixed to said portable item; a second carrier, coupled to a carrying surface of said first carrier, for transferring a badge pattern printed on a transfer paper onto at least one surface of said second carrier by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies.
 2. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said portable item is one selected from the collection of a cap and a handbag.
 3. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said first carrier is a base substantially in a predetermined geometric shape and made of a material selected from the collection of a metal material, a non-metal material and a fabric material.
 4. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said carrying surface is a recession inwardly concaved and disposed on a surface of said first carrier, and said recession is substantially in a predetermined geometric shape and has a frame edge disposed at the periphery of said recession.
 5. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said second carrier is a plate symmetrical to the shape of said carrying surface.
 6. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said second carrier is a thin plate made of a material selected from the collection of a metal material and a non-metal material.
 7. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said badge pattern is a pattern, a character or their combination with a full color or a non-fall color visual effect and composition edited according to a customized requirement and an electronic image or a non-electronic image, and outputted and printed onto said transfer paper.
 8. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said badge pattern is a pattern, a character, or their combination with a full color or a non-fall color visual effect and composition edited according to a predetermined electronic image or a predetermined non-electronic image, and outputted and printed onto said transfer paper.
 9. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 1, wherein said first carrier and said second carrier are formed integrally.
 10. A badge structure, applied as a decoration or an identification connected to a cap, a handbag or other portable item, and said badge structure comprising: a first carrier, having a carrying surface, and fixed onto said portable item; a second carrier, combined to said carrying surface of said first carrier, and having a badge pattern printed on a transfer paper to be transferred onto a surface of said second carrier by thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies.
 11. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 10, wherein said first carrier is a base substantially in a predetermined geometric shape and made of a material selected from the collection of a metal material, a non-metal material and a fabric material.
 12. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 10, wherein said carrying surface of said first carrier is inwardly concaved and disposed on a surface of said first carrier, and has a frame edge disposed at the periphery of said recession.
 13. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 10, wherein said second carrier is a plate symmetrical to the shape of said carrying surface.
 14. The badge structure of a portable item of claim 10, wherein said second carrier is a thin plate made of a material selected from the collection of a metal material and a non-metal material. 